LAKSEGATE
You use more fish than you get out!
1.4 kg
Wild fish & krill
(for feed)
→
The calculation: For every kilo of farmed salmon in Denmark, up to 1.4 kilos of wild marine animals are used as feed – meaning more is taken from the sea than produced!
It’s a negative balance for the ocean.
The key figures from Danish salmon farming
2,883 tons
Overfished in 2024
More removed from the sea than produced
731 tons
Discarded fish
Thrown away in 2024
308.85 tons
Nitrogen
Emitted from feed – as much as a whole town
27.13 tons
Phosphorus
Enough to fertilize 18 football fields
6,784 tons
Farmed trout produced
Total amount in 2024
8,657 tons
Feed used
Required for production
7,417 tons
Industrial fish for feed
Wild fish caught for feed
2,250 tons
Krill for feed
Billions of krill – a key food source removed from the sea
9,667 tons
Total used (fish + krill)
70% more than produced
2 / 19
Permitted sea farms
Only 2 out of 19 Danish sea farms have all permits
16.5 tons
Chemicals
Used to keep nets clean – much ends up in the sea
African fish
Loss for local communities
Fish for feed are exported away from coastal populations
Inspiration: This site is based on research and findings from Clausens Fiskehandel on YouTube and Danish environmental organizations.
What is Laksegate about?
Salmon farming is often presented as a sustainable answer to the world’s growing need for fish. But when you dig into the numbers, a different picture emerges. For every kilo of farmed salmon, up to 1.4 kilos of wild marine life are used as feed – meaning more is taken out than is produced. In practice, we’re “emptying the ocean to fill the pens”.
At the same time, huge amounts of fish are discarded, and large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus are released into the environment. These nutrients harm marine life and can lead to oxygen depletion and loss of biodiversity in Danish waters. Tons of chemicals are used to keep nets clean – much of it ends up in the sea, even though that’s illegal.
Fish for feed are also sourced from developing countries like those in Africa, where local communities lose access to essential food as the Danish aquaculture industry grows.
- More wild fish are used as feed than are produced as edible salmon.
- Krill and small fish are removed from the ecosystem – impacting whales, birds, and the entire food chain.
- Up to 10% of farmed fish die or are discarded during production.
- Chemicals and nutrients are released into the sea.
- Most Danish sea farms lack valid environmental permits.
- Fishing for feed puts pressure on communities in the Global South.
If we want a healthy marine environment, the numbers call for a serious debate about whether salmon farming is really a sustainable way forward.
Possible solutions – the way forward for fish farming
Only allow sea farms that are genuinely environmentally sustainable and have valid permits. Set lower limits for nutrient and chemical discharges.
Make it financially attractive to switch to recirculating land-based systems (RAS), where environmental impact can be minimized and monitored.
Require that more feed comes from by-products, insects, algae, or plants. Limit the use of industrial fish and krill.
Support small-scale, local aquaculture and circular collaborations where nutrients are reused as resources.
Introduce labeling schemes that show a fish’s feed source, environmental impact, and certification, so consumers can make greener choices.
Denmark should lead the way in the EU for new, sustainable standards – and ensure support for upskilling those working in the industry.
In short:
From sea to land – and from industrial fish to by-product and plant-based feed.
Tight control, local innovation, and transparency for consumers.